Emily
by Lyric Boleyn
Summary: AU where Victor and Emily grew up together as children. Victor is in love with Emily, but he is too shy to reveal his feelings for her. Meanwhile, a mysterious new man comes to town who has got Emily falling for his charms, and Victor and Victoria's parents are trying to arrange a marriage between the two. Can Victor win over Emily and stop his impending marriage to Victoria?
1. Victor 1

I first met Emily Rowe one afternoon when I was practicing the piano in my living room. I was 10 years old, and Scraps was curled up by feet as my fingers glided along the keys. Music poured out with every stroke, and I lost myself in the somber tones of my currently untitled song. Then, I heard someone loudly knocking at the door. Scraps immediately jumped up and ran to the door barking the whole time. "Victor, answer the door before that dog's yapping gives me a headache!", my mother yelled from upstairs. I sighed.

"Quiet, Scraps", I muttered as I opened the door. Standing on my front porch was a young girl around my age. She had long brown hair that tumbled down her face in waves. Her big, brown eyes stared up at me and she smiled.

"Is this the Van Dort house?", she asked.

"Yes", I replied. "Are you looking for someone?"

"I'm looking for Victor. Victor Van Dort."

"That's me. What can I do for you?"

She took a deep breath. "Well, I've decided that I want to learn to play piano, but the town's piano teacher refuses to teach a girl. He says that it's not proper for a girl to know how to play. I'm determined to learn though, and once I put my mind to something, I do it. I've heard that you're his best student, and I wanted to know if you could teach me."

I grinned, "I'd be delighted to."

I decided right then and there that I liked this girl. She was unlike any girl that I had known. While other girls like Victoria Everglot demurely did as they were told, Emily boldly marched to the beat of her own drum. Every week she would come over for lessons and she learned quick. Within 6 months she could already play compositions that I hadn't been able to play until I'd been taking lessons for a year.

We soon became inseparable. When we didn't have lessons I'd often go over to her house with Scraps trailing along behind me. Her family was well off, and their house had large windows and a magnificent balcony outside her bedroom. It was just her and her father, Mr. Rowe, that lived there. I remember asking her once, when I was 14 and she was 12, why her mother didn't live with them.

"Well, she died when I was six. My father says that she's in heaven, but I know that she's too restless to stay in one spot, so she can't be there." she replied.

"If she's not in heaven, then where is she?" I asked.

"Why isn't it obvious? She must be reincarnated. It's just like a story my father once read to me about the Buddhists. When they die, they come back as another person, or an animal. When I was crying at her funeral, a blue butterfly landed right next to my hand, and I just knew it was her."

"Does she visit you often?" I inquired.

"Every now and then. Whenever I need her the most."

I think that it was at that moment when I realized that I had fallen in love with her.


	2. Emily 2

"I can't believe that Victor is already 21!" my father exclaimed. "I'm sure that any day now he'll be asking me for your hand."

"Now father, how many times do I have to tell you that he's just a friend?", I smirked. Ever since I was 8 he had been asking me if Victor was my beau. I'll admit, the thought of being his girl had crossed my mind a few times, but I wasn't sure if we'd work as a couple. Besides, I didn't want to ruin a perfectly good friendship trying to figure it out.

It was Victor's 21st birthday, and my father had invited him to have dinner at our house that afternoon. When he arrived, I noticed that his eyes were rimmed with red. Tears were threatening to spill over onto his cheeks. In his arms, he carried a small box. "Victor, what's wrong?", I asked.

"Scraps…. is dead," he managed to sputter. A tear slowly slid down his cheek as I realized what was in the box.

"I'm so sorry. He was such a great dog, and I know how much he meant to you," I said. "We can bury him under my oak. It was always his favorite tree." He nodded.

"Thank you so much, Emily," he whispered, and I pulled him into my embrace.

After we buried Scraps, we had dinner and I made a toast in his honor. When dinner was over, I insisted that I was going to take Victor out dancing. "Emily, you know I can't dance to save my life," he chuckled.

"Well, there's no better time to learn then the present," I grinned. "Besides, it'll get your mind off of things."

"Public humiliation tends to that to a person," he joked.

"C'mon it will be fun," I coaxed. I grabbed his hand and lead him out of the house and down the road towards town.


	3. Victor 3

There was a small band playing at the town park that night. When we arrived, there were couples of all ages scattered throughout the landscape. Some swayed through the grass, and others waltzed in the gazebo that lay directly in the middle of the park. Candles were lined up on the railings. Their flames were flickering and casting shadows on the milky white floorboards. I followed Emily up the steps of the alabaster structure, and tried to mentally prepare myself to dance.

I'd rarely ever danced. My father once told me that the better a man can dance, the easier he can woo a woman. I seriously hoped that wasn't the case. If it was, I figured that I was doomed to live out the rest of my days as a lonely bachelor. Whenever I tried, I always managed to step on the other person's feet repeatedly. I wasn't what one might consider graceful, but Emily had faith that I would get the hang of it someday.

I took a deep breath as I looked into Emily's lovely brown eyes. Her lips curled up into a small grin, and she whispered, "Are you ready?" If it were anyone else, I would have ran then. I would have saved myself the embarrassment. This was Emily though.

"Yes," I replied. A smile spread across my face. I couldn't help it. She was beautiful, not just in appearance, but in the way she could make someone feel like they had the power to take on the world. One of my hands gently wrapped around her waist, and the other interlaced her fingers with mine. I took a deep breath and slowly began to move my feet in the rhythm of the waltz. Within the first few minutes, I accidently stepped on her foot, and mumbled out, "I apologize for my lack of grace, but you can't say I didn't warn you."

"You're doing just fine," she replied. The rest of the song played on without any more accidents. When it ended, we went to sit in the grass and take a small break. "Are you enjoying yourself?", Emily asked.

"There is no where else I'd rather be," I said. I glanced down at her pale, pink lips. You have no idea how badly I wanted to kiss her in that moment. My heart pounded as I imagined my face slowly leaning towards hers, and our lips softly brushing against each other. I didn't know how much longer I could hold back my feelings for her before the words just leaped right off my tongue. I decided that it was time. I was going to ask her to court me that night.


	4. Emily 4

Victor looked down at the grass as if he was deep in thought. He opened his mouth to speak, but then quickly shut it again. I wanted to know what was on his mind so I asked, "Victor, is everything okay?" He took a deep breath and slowly nodded his head.

"Yes," he replied. "Losing Scraps is painful, but things are looking up. I've made some plans for the near future that are quite exciting." Immediately, I began wondering what these plans of his could possibly be. As far as I knew, there wasn't much exciting that could happen around here. Maybe he was thinking about going on a trip somewhere new or writing a symphony that would finally let him make a career out of his passion.

"What kind of plans?", I asked eagerly. His eyes lit up at my query, and a blush swept across his cheeks.

"Well, I've been thinking that perhaps we could…,"

"Good Evening," a man's voice interrupted. I turned my head to the right to see a young gentleman standing next to me. His eyes were a piercingly pale shade of blue, and his hair was a mess of blond curls. His suit was dark black with a shiny silver tie around his neck. He turned toward Victor and said, "I was wondering if I could borrow this beautiful young lady from you for just a minute. This waltz happens to be my favorite, and all of the other women here are already dancing with someone else."

Victor eyed him with a look of slight irritation. I quickly interjected, "I think I'll have to pass on your offer. It's his birthday today and I don't think…"

"No, I'll be fine," Victor chimed in. "I know you love dancing, and I'll still be here when the song is over."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"I'm sure," he insisted.


	5. Victor 5

As soon as Emily and the blonde gentleman had turned their backs to me I cursed under my breath. I couldn't believe the words that had come out of my own mouth. _I should've asked her to stay_ , I thought. I knew that I couldn't keep waiting until later to tell her. I had to man up and tell her how I truly felt.

I glanced over to Emily and the man waltzing on the gazebo. I waited patiently as the waltz came to a close. As the next song began to play, I looked up to see if Emily was headed back toward me. After a quick scan of the area, I realized that neither of them were there.

I sat on the grass for another 30 minutes. Just as I was about to leave, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. It was Emily. "Where have you been? I thought you were returning after the song was over?" I asked.

"Well, Thomas is new to town, and he wanted me to show him around a bit. I'm sorry it took so long," she replied. "Also, he said that he'd like to court me," she added quietly as a blush spread across her cheeks.

My heart sank. "So, how did you respond?" I asked hesitantly.

"I said yes!" she squealed in delight. "Would you please be our chaperon? It would be awkward to have my father chaperon, and I know that he would trust you to do it."

I forced a smile as my heart shattered. "I'll do it," I whispered.


	6. Emily 6

"So, what does Victor think of Thomas?" my father asked me the next morning.

"Well, Victor and Thomas didn't get much time to talk. Thomas just asked Victor if I could dance with him," I replied.

"I don't know how I feel about you courting this guy you've just met, Emily. You haven't even introduced him to me yet. What kind of man asks a girl to court him without talking to her father first?"

"I thought it was sweet. Besides, I think customs like that are a bit silly. You're not the one he wants to court," I said.

"You're still going to let me talk with this young man before you leave to go to the park with him and Victor," he asserted. A knock on the door sent me sprinting down the hall to see if Thomas was here yet. I opened the door to see Victor standing on my doorstep with a bouquet of daisies.

"Those are beautiful flowers. Why don't you come inside and put them in a vase? Thomas should be here any minute," I chirped in excitement.

"Actually, I can't come inside. My parents said that they need to talk to me this afternoon about something very important. I'm sorry, but I can't chaperone for you today," he muttered.

"Oh, I guess I'll just have to tell Thomas that we'll have to go to the park some other day. Hopefully the important thing your parents need to talk to you about is good news."

"I hope so too. I don't know if i can take any more bad news," he managed to choke out as he walked back home. _Poor Victor_ , I thought to myself. _The death of his dog must really be hurting him_. As I was about to close the door, I saw Thomas walking up to the house.

"Thomas, Victor can't chaperon today. We'll have to go to the park some other day."

"Oh, okay. Well, I guess I'll stop by his place to ask what day works best for him," he sighed. He began to walk back towards town when my father came up behind me.

"Thomas, wait! I can chaperon for you and Emily. Why don't you come inside?" my father yelled.

I winced in embarrassment. My father was the absolute last person I wanted chaperoning me when I was talking to a cute guy. "Alright," Thomas replied as he walked inside.


	7. Victor 7

"Victor, we have some great news to share with you," my mother declared. Her and my father were seated on the living room couch in front of me. My mother was gripping my father's hand in excitement.

"What is it?" I asked hesitantly.

"Just sit down first," my father replied. I took a seat in the armchair across from them.

"We were just informed last evening that the Everglot family has gone bankrupt. If something doesn't happen soon, the family will be sent to the poor house," my mother said gravely.

"How is that great news?" I asked.

"It's not. The great news comes as a result of it though. In order to stay out of the poor house, they will be marrying off their daughter Victoria. They offered her hand to you first, and we obviously accepted on your behalf! This will definitely improve our social status in the town and give us many new opportunities! Isn't it wonderful?" she exclaimed.

I was frozen in my seat as her words started to really sink in. How could they do this to me? I was now betrothed to a girl I had hardly spoken to, and they hadn't even asked me before finalizing the betrothal.

"Mother, I don't want to marry Victoria Everglot," I muttered quietly.

"What did you say, Victor? Speak up," my mother insisted.

"I don't want to marry Victoria Everglot," I repeated.

"What nonsense are you prattling on about? Why wouldn't you want to marry her? I don't see you with any other lady on your arm, and it's about time you found a wife," she growled as she stared at me in disbelief.

"She's right, Victor. We need you to carry on the family name, and I doubt you'll find any other girl whose family has as much prestige as the Everglots," my father chimed in. "I know you fancy that Rowe girl, but if you haven't mustered up the courage to tell her how you feel by now, I doubt you ever will."

Anger surged through me as I stood up abruptly. "I can and I will!" I shouted.

My mother stood up calmly and said, "Well, the Rowe family does have a good amount of prestige and wealth, so I'll make a deal with you. If you can get Emily Rowe to court you by the end of the week, we will call the betrothal off. However, if you don't succeed in this task, you will marry Victoria without any complaints. Do we have a deal?"

I thought it over. Did I really think that I could get Emily to court me now that she was courting Thomas? The answer was no, but I had to give it a shot. I couldn't marry anyone else knowing that I hadn't even tried to end up with Emily.

"Yes, we have a deal," I replied, as I shook hands with my mother.


	8. Emily 8

"It's been nice chatting with you sir, but I must be on my way back to town now. I have to pick up some food before the stores close," Thomas explained to my father as he bolted for the door. As soon as the door had closed behind him, I whirled around to stare at my father.

"I'm surprised he managed to wait that long before bolting. You only fiercely interrogated him since the moment he walked through the door," I grumbled.

My father sighed in irritation. "Emily, I was just trying to get to know him. Is that a crime? Don't you think that a father should know a thing or two about a man who is courting his daughter? I had to see if he was good enough for you."

"Well, what do you think of him?"

He paused for a moment in hesitation. Slowly, he opened his mouth to reply. I knew what he was going to say before the words escaped his lips.

"I don't like him, Emily, and I don't want you courting him," he said quietly.

There was a moment of silence that seemed to stretch on for an eternity as I tried to contain the anger inside of me bubbling to the surface.

"I know that you won't understand, but I've always been a great judge of character. Obviously, you don't see it, but there is something about that boy that gives me the creeps. I don't think he has the purest intentions."

"The only thing you don't like about him is that he's not Victor!" I snapped. "Well, for your information, I happen to like Victor. I even happen to like him as more than a friend, but it doesn't matter! Victor doesn't feel the same way about me. If he did, he would have said something by now. Thomas is a guy that actually reciprocates my feelings and I love him! Why can't you just let me be happy with him?"

My father held out his arms and attempted to hug me as I tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks.

"Emily, I want nothing but happiness for you. You're going to find someone wonderful someday who will love you more than life itself. I know you think you love Thomas right now, but you've only just met him. You think he's great, because you see him through the blind gaze of puppy love, but I can just tell that there's something off about him."

I took a step away from my father and whispered, "I'll go tell Thomas that I can't see him anymore."

"Thank you, Emily," he said.

I ran outside to catch up with Thomas. Panting, I finally caught up with him.

"Why did you run to catch up with me. Do you miss me already?" he joked.

"I'm not that clingy," I giggled in response. "Can we meet at the park tonight at 9? I'd like to spend some time with you when my father isn't questioning you the whole time."

"I'd like that," he replied, as he grinned at me.


	9. Victor 9

My father knocked on the Everglots' door as my mother straightened my tie. "Mother, my tie is fine," I reassured her.

"Well, we don't settle for fine in this family," she replied, as she stepped away from me to stare at the door in impatience.

After about a minute had passed, a spindly butler answered the door. His mustache bristled as he took a deep breath and ushered us inside. Their house was rather empty. I remembered coming to the Everglots' place for a dinner party my parents dragged me to a few years earlier, and at the time the front room was filled with lavish furniture and priceless paintings. Now, all that remained was a single piano and bench. At the bottom of the stairs, Lord and Lady Everglot stood with faces of stone. I shivered slightly at the sight of them. The butler shuffled off without another word and left us face to face with the Everglots.

"Good evening, Lady Everglot. You look ravishing," my father said, as he tipped his hat.

Lady Everglot's face shifted into a tight lipped smile. "Thank you, Mr. Van Dort," she replied. "We are so grateful that your son will be marrying our daughter."

"The pleasure is all ours," my mother beamed. "We'll have to plan things quickly if we want this wedding to be set by the end of the week, so I brought along a list of ideas for the ceremony. Of course, we'll have to keep the costs pretty cheap, but I'm certain we can work with the budget we have."

"My husband and I will look through the list with you," she said, as she tried in vain to appear interested in my mother's ideas. She turned to me to say, "Victor, while we are discussing ideas for the wedding, you can go talk to Victoria out in the backyard. She is with her chaperone, Hildegarde."

"Okay," I sighed.

As soon as I took my first step outside the back door, I saw Victoria. She was sitting on a bench outside and quietly knitting with Hildegarde. Victoria looked up at the sound of the door closing behind me. Her eyes lit up when they met mine. "Victor, it's so nice to see you. I do believe it's been quite awhile hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has. The last time I was here was at your parents dinner party 2 years ago."

"It was my eighteenth birthday. I remember that I tried to offer you a drink, but ended up accidently spilling it all over your nice suit. I felt so bad!" she giggled, as a blush spread across her cheeks.

We continued to make polite conversation as we awkwardly avoided talking about the fact that our wedding was set for next week. I noticed the way her eyes gleamed when she looked at me and the blush that spread across her face when I made her laugh. I had known since we were 13 that she fancied me. It was very plain to see. My heart couldn't help but ache for her. Neither of us know what it's like to love someone who reciprocates the feeling, I thought to myself. Perhaps Victoria is a better match for me.


	10. Emily 10

The town clock had just struck nine when I arrived at the park, but Thomas was nowhere in sight. I sat down on a park bench and waited patiently for him to meet me. Suddenly, someone quickly wrapped their arms around me from behind and I let out a small cry of shock. "It's just me, Emily," Thomas whispered in my ear. Softly, he brushed my cheek with his lips.

"Thomas, you startled me."

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to surprise you," he replied, as he sat down next to me. He laced his fingers with mine and turned to face me. "Emily, I love you. I know that we've only known each other a short time, but it was obvious from the moment I met you that we were destined to meet. You've stolen my heart." He reached in his coat pocket to hold out a small box in front of me. "Emily Rowe, will you marry me?" he asked, as he opened the box to reveal a small silver ring with a single diamond on top.

My heart began to race and I couldn't believe the scene that had unfolded before me. I came here to tell him that we would have to meet in secret from now on, and he was proposing to me. Keeping a husband a secret wouldn't be a possibility.

"I would love to marry you, but my father doesn't approve of our courtship. How can I get him to agree to us getting married?" I sighed.

Thomas set the ring box down and cupped my face with his hands. "You don't have to."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We can run away together and elope! I'll give you a week to prepare, and then we can leave that night. We'll take a carriage to my hometown and marry there."

"What about my father and my friend Victor? I don't want them to worry."

"You can leave them notes. You can keep in contact with your father through letters. I'm sure that after he gets time to cool down he'll warm up to the idea of us together. No father can stay mad at his daughter." he said reassuringly.

I thought it over for a few seconds, and swiftly came to a decision. "Your plan is great, Thomas. Yes, I will marry you."

He grabbed the ring box and reopened it. Carefully, he plucked the ring from the box and slipped it onto my finger. Before I could register what was happening, his lips were on mine. His lips parted, and he softly pushed my mouth open to slip in his tongue. After a few minutes of passionate kisses, he abruptly broke the kiss.

"Why did you stop?" I asked.

"I want to take things further."

"Out here?"

"No, of course not. We could hide in the bushes though."

"Shouldn't we wait till after we are married?"

"Well, we are already engaged. People only wait to make sure their first time is with the person they are going to marry, and we are getting married." He pulled me in for another kiss before I could protest, and led me into the bushes. My head had reservations about this, but my body urged me on as he pulled down my stockings and proceeded to sink himself inside of me.

After I had returned home, I slipped the ring off my finger and placed it in my bedroom drawer. As I slipped into bed, I started mentally planning for my elopement.


	11. Victor 11

I anxiously stood in front of Emily's front door. Quickly, I forced myself to knock and took a shaky breath in an attempt to calm my nerves. _It's now or never, Victor_ , I said to myself. _You just have to tell her how you feel_. Emily swung the door open and gave me a sweet smile.

"Hello, Victor. So, are you here to tell me what important news your parents had to share with you yesterday?" she asked, as she motioned me inside.

"Yes," I replied. "My parents have arranged a betrothal between Victoria Everglot and I, and our wedding is set for 6 days from now." Her eyes widened in shock.

"Well, that's a bit sudden," she replied.

"Indeed. I wasn't expecting it at all. Their family desperately needs to marry her off to keep themselves out of the poor house."

"That's awful that they've been put in that predicament. I can't imagine how embarrassed their family must be about this." She paused momentarily before asking, "Are you happy about the betrothal? Victoria is a lovely girl, and she seems just as pure hearted as she is beautiful."

"To be honest, my heart belongs to someone else," I replied. She looked at me in surprise.

"Who is this girl that you…"

"It's you, Emily. It's always been you." I held my breath as I waited for her response. It appeared that I had stunned her into complete silence.

After what seemed like an eternity, She mumbled, "I think I need to sit down." Slowly, she lowered herself into the armchair nearby.

"I made a deal with my mother when she told me about the betrothal. She said that if you would agree to court me before the wedding, that she would call off the wedding. So, what do you think, Emily? Will you court me?"

"This is just a lot to process, Victor. I need some time to think about it. Will you let me mull it over?"

"Yes, but I need your answer by the end of the week. I'll check back in on you then, Okay?"

"Okay," she said. I walked out of the house and quietly shut the door behind me. I'd done all that I could do. Now, the only thing left to do was wait.


	12. Emily 12

After Victor left, I ran upstairs to flop down onto my bed. Everything had seemed so simple yesterday. Yesterday, I didn't have to make a choice, because Thomas was the only person who openly reciprocated my feelings for him. Now, Victor and Thomas both wanted to end up with me. I groaned as I thought about the difficult choice that I had to make.

I started to weigh the pros and cons of each in my head. The pros of choosing Victor were that we had known each other a long time, and I wouldn't have to run away. The cons of choosing Victor were that I would have to break my engagement and Thomas' heart, and I would have to tell him that I had slept with someone else. _What if he didn't want some impure slut who gave away her virginity to a man she wasn't married to? Would I be brave enough to run the risk of ending up with neither of them?_ , I wondered.

The pros of choosing Thomas were that I would be with the first person I had slept with, and I wouldn't have to face the risk of being rejected by Victor for my impurity. The cons of choosing Thomas were that I would have to run away from everything I had ever known, and it would break both my father's heart and Victor's. _Would I be able to bear the pain of knowing I had broken my best friend's heart? Could my father ever forgive me for eloping with Thomas?_ , I asked myself.

These thoughts played on a continuous loop through my head the rest of that day and into the night. By the time that I woke up the next morning, I had made up my mind. By the end of the week, I would have to give Victor my answer.


	13. Victor 13

It was the day before my wedding, and I was going to Emily's house to get her answer. My hand shook with nerves as I reached out to knock on her front door. I had spent every night since we last talked tossing and turning. The conversation would play through my head each night, and I tried to find clues in it that might give me a hint as to which decision she was leaning towards. Nothing seemed to point me towards the most likely choice. My anxiety couldn't be calmed until I had her answer.

Emily slowly opened the door and stepped outside with me. "I would invite you inside, but my father is taking a nap, and I would hate to wake him up by talking too loud in the house," she said.

"I understand," I replied. "I've come to ask if you've decided whether or not you'd like to court me. My wedding is planned for tomorrow, so I need to know what your choice is today."

She cupped my face with her hand and looked up at me. "Victor, I love you, but only as a friend. I'm sorry. The last thing that I ever wanted to do was break your heart."

I backed away from her as tears began to fill my eyes. "It's ok. I'll be alright," I mumbled out. Of course that was a lie, but I couldn't be mad at her for not feeling the same way I did. I would have to move on. Tomorrow would be the start of a new part of my life. Perhaps I will learn to love Victoria in time, I thought to myself.


	14. Emily 14

I closed the door behind me and began to sob. It hurt me to know that he was sad because of me. I had wanted so badly to choose him, but I had to choose Thomas. My period was late. It was too early to tell if I was pregnant, but the fact that I could be left me with no choice. I couldn't break things off with Thomas if I knew I might be carrying his child. Besides, Victor would never stay with me if it turned out that I was pregnant. He wouldn't want to hang around with me at all once the news broke out amongst the town.

I cursed fate silently as I thought about what tomorrow would bring. Both Victor and I would be marrying someone we didn't love. Yes, I had thought that I had loved Thomas, but once I knew that Victor reciprocated my feelings for him, I knew that what I felt for Thomas was nothing but lust. I wanted so badly to be loved, that it was easy for me to deceive myself into thinking that I felt something more for him. It didn't help that he was so sweet to me.

The only person I had to blame was myself. I wished I had listened to my father. If I had broken things off with Thomas earlier, this never would have happened. I would've had no choice to make, and I would have happily agreed to court Victor.

An hour later, my bag was packed with some clothes and my dowry, that was kept in the family safe. My mother's wedding dress was hanging in my closet. I tried it on, and stared at my reflection in the mirror. It was a perfect fit. I took the ring out of my drawer and slid it on my finger. _This is my future now_ , I thought to myself. I packed up the dress and ring, and I began to write two letters explaining my departure from home. One was for my father, and one was for Victor.


	15. Victor 15

"Good Evening, Victor. Shouldn't you be at the church? Your wedding is this evening isn't it?" Mr. Rowe asked, as he let me inside the house.

"Yes, my wedding is taking place in a couple of hours, but I came here to invite Emily. Since the ceremony was put together last minute, they only made invitations for Victoria's relatives and mine," I replied.

"Well, Emily is upstairs in her room. You can go up there and talk to her."

I paused for a moment. I'd never been in Emily's room. I guess now that I was getting married, her father had no reason to be afraid of us getting carried away in there. Emily always told me how he thought that we'd become a couple someday. _You and me both Mr. Rowe_ , I thought to myself.

I knocked softly on her bedroom door and said, "Emily, can I come in?" After waiting for a minute, I slowly cracked open the door when there was no reply. Emily wasn't there. The only items in the room were a small bed, a black dresser, and a mirror. On top of the dresser, I saw two white envelopes with writing on the front. When I had moved in front of the dresser, I saw that written on one envelope was _Father_ and the other one had my name scrawled across it.

My heart began to race. The first thing that I associated with notes and people missing was suicide. Emily didn't have any reasons to want to end her life that I was aware of. If she was having suicidal thoughts, I would have figured it out wouldn't I? Quickly, I ripped open the letter with my name on. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before beginning to read.

 _Dear Victor,_

 _I'm sorry that I had to reject you yesterday. I've been keeping secrets from you, and it's time that I came clean. When you told me that you were in love with me, I was hesitant to respond, because I had just gotten engaged. Thomas proposed to me the night before. He suggested that we could elope, because my father doesn't approve of him, and I said yes. I know it's crazy, but I got caught up in the heat of the moment. I slept with him. What I realized when you revealed your feelings to me, was that I didn't really love him. Victor, I've always loved you, but I never thought you would return my affections, and I worried that a courtship could ruin our friendship. I always assumed that you would tell me if you had feelings for me, and you finally did. Unfortunately, you waited too long. I wanted to choose you over him, but there's a possibility that I am pregnant with his child. It wouldn't be fair to him if I kept his child from him, and wouldn't be fair of me to expect you to help me raise another man's child. I hope you can understand and find it in your heart to forgive me. I wish you the best with your marriage to Victoria._

 _Love,_

 _Emily_

I felt a mix of emotions as I digested all of this new information. It was a bit overwhelming to say the least. I knew that I had to find Emily before she left town, if she hadn't already left. I couldn't let her elope with a man she didn't love. We could figure something out together. We could end up together.

I raced downstairs and found Mr. Rowe reading the paper in his chair. Calmly, I began, "Mr. Rowe, Emily isn't in her room. Do you know where she might be?"

He thought about it for a second and replied, "Well, sometimes she goes for walks out to her favorite tree in the woods. Her mother was buried under it, and it's a place she likes to think."

"Thanks, Mr. Rowe. I'll look for her there."

She would never leave town without saying goodbye to her mother. If she was still in town, she would be there. I left the house and rushed into the woods.


	16. Emily 16

Chapter 16: Emily

Thomas and I had agreed to meet at my mother's grave the evening of our elopement. The wedding dress, my ring, and my dowry were packed safely in my suitcase. I kneeled before the tree and began to weep. Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me.

"What's wrong, Emily?" Thomas asked.

I turned to see confusion etched across his face, and I knew that I had to be honest with him. No one should ever marry someone they don't love.

"Thomas, I'm so sorry, but I can't go through with this." I managed to choke out.

"What are you talking about?"

"I can't marry you, because I love Victor."

Swiftly, he pulled a pistol from his coat pocket, grabbed me, and held the barrel against my head.

"I was going to wait until after we were married, but under these circumstances, it will have to happen now." he snarled.

"Thomas, why are you doing this? I thought you loved me!" I screeched.

"Darling, I never loved you. It's all an act. Oh, don't feel bad, you're certainly not the first girl to fall for it. You're number 4 to be exact. I woo girls in with my charms, naive young rich things like yourself, and propose. Once we are married, I take them away, kill them, and take their dowry. It pays, and I just love to watch them squirm and beg for mercy." he hissed.

"Please let me go! I may be pregnant with your child!"

"Do you really think I care about that? Besides, the girls always say things that they think will change my mind. You're probably just making that up."

He shoved a bullet into the chamber of the pistol, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

"On second thought, guns are no fun. It's all over too quickly for my taste. I'd much rather strangle you."

He tossed the pistol to the side and wrapped his arms around my neck.


	17. Victor 17

I began to run faster as I spotted Emily and Thomas near her mother's grave. As I got closer, it became clear that Thomas was choking her. Her face was turning a shade of blue, and she gasped for air as his hands tightened their grip around her neck. I panicked. Thomas was much stronger than me. Physically taking him down would have been impossible for my lanky body. Then, I spotted a gun lying in the grass a few feet from Thomas. Swiftly, I dove for the gun, aimed for Thomas' ankle, and pulled the trigger. The shot rang through the air as Thomas let out a shriek of shock and released his grip on Emily to grab his ankle.

I ran over to stand in front of Emily, and I pointed the barrel of the pistol directly at Thomas' head.

"If you don't leave right now, I'll blow your damn brains out," I growled.

He looked at me with a sense of amusement. His face curled up in a sinister smile and he replied, "Oh, really? You may be able to shoot a man whose back is turned to you, but can you really shoot a man when you're staring him down?"

I tried to hide the slight shaking of my hand. _What am I afraid of?,_ I wondered. _I'm the one holding the gun, not him._

"I'll leave, but this won't be the last you see of me. You can have the pregnant whore all to yourself for now, but I will return, and when I do I'll slit her precious little throat while she…"

 **Bang!** In a split second, Emily had reached out and pulled the trigger of the pistol while I still held it in my quivering hand. I stared at his forehead as the blood oozed out of the fresh bullet hole, and his face froze into a look of terror. His mouth hung agape, as he hit the ground face first. Emily pulled me into her embrace as she began to cry.

"It's okay now, Emily. Everything is going to be alright. We just need to bury the body. Nobody will ever find out about this," I whispered.

"Victor, he's killed woman before," she choked out. "I would've just been another death by his hands if you hadn't showed up when you did. I owe you my life."

"I seem to recall you pulling the trigger," I replied. "I wouldn't have been able to that. I was too busy shaking like a leaf to be the hero you deserve."

She pulled back to look into my eyes and cupped my cheek with her hand. "Victor, If there's anyone who isn't deserving of someone it's did it take me wrecking any chance I had with you to realise how much I love you?"

"You just made a mistake, Emily. None of us are perfect, and I still want to be with you." I lowered myself down onto one knee, held her hand, and asked, "Emily Rowe, would you do me the honor of marrying me?"

She looked down at me in utter shock. "What about the baby? What about your wedding tonight?"

"If you are really pregnant, I will raise the child like it was my own. As for my wedding, I'm already late to the ceremony as it is. I seriously doubt that Mr. and Mrs. Everglot will still want me to marry Victoria after I've embarrassed their family like this. My mother will probably try to strangle me when I get back to town, but she won't stay mad at me forever. She knows how much I love you, and she'll be thrilled to have you as a daughter in law."

Her eyes glistened as more tears surfaced. "Victor, I would love to marry you!" she exclaimed. She helped me back off of the ground and pulled me into one last embrace before breaking apart to smile at me. Then, we leaned into each other until our lips met and it happened. After years of dreaming about it, I had finally kissed Emily Rowe.


	18. Emily 18

After burying Thomas, Victor and I headed to the church to face the wrath of his and Victoria's parents. Victor was over an hour late to the ceremony when we finally arrived. His mother spotted us first. She scowled as we approached and her eyes were blazing with rage as she screamed, "Where have you been Victor? Do you know how much you have embarrassed your father and I? The Everglots are even more mortified, and they'll never let you marry Victoria now!"

At the sound of her shrieking, people began to file out of the church to see what all of the commotion was about. When they saw the late groom being scolded by his mother as I held his hand, they all started to whisper amongst themselves. I squeezed Victor's hand in reassurance as I waited for him to speak.

"Mother, I don't want to marry Victoria. You said if I could get Emily to court me before the wedding that it would be called off. Well, I asked Emily to marry me, and she said yes."

"I only said that, because I never thought you'd have the courage to ask her to court you! Why did you wait till the very last minute? You could have saved us the humiliation," she replied. "Your father is in town looking for you. After apologizing to the Everglots, we should go find him and explain what is going on." She took a deep sigh before placing her hand on Victor's face and saying, "Victor, I'm sorry I forced you into this. I was being selfish, and I really do want you to be happy. If I had only listened to you we wouldn't be in this mess right now."

Tears sprang into Victor's eyes as he whispered, "I forgive you. I also apologize for the embarrassment I've caused you."

"I'm sure we'll manage it just fine. After all, we will be having another wedding soon." She smiled at me and said, "Welcome to the family, Emily."

Slowly, Victoria approached in her silk white gown and veil. As soon as Victor saw that she was nearing us, he began to apologize. "Victoria, I'm so sorry…"

She quickly interrupted him to say, "It's alright, Victor. I know you've had your eyes on Emily for awhile now, and I wish you both nothing but happiness. You should take this back." Victoria slipped the ring off of her finger. "It was your great grandmother's, and I'm sure you'll be needing it."

"Thank you, Victoria," Victor said, as he wiped tears off his face.

"Victoria, would you be my bridesmaid?" I asked.

"I"d like that very much. My mother and father will hate the idea, but they won't be able to stop me. It will be years before they can show themselves in public again, and I doubt they want to make a scene by dragging me back into the house if I try to leave," she giggled.

I smiled and Victor whispered in my ear, "Now there's only more hard part."

"What's that?" I whispered back.

"Telling your father that I asked you to marry me before asking for his blessing."


	19. Victor 19

It had been about nine months since our wedding, and Emily had gone into labor. While she was in our room with the town doctor, I was pacing the hallway trying to distract myself. We had discovered that "Thomas" was actually a man named Lord Barkis Bittern. His wanted posters had started showing up all around town about a month after the wedding. Emily had been questioned by the police, because it was known that she and him had briefly courted. She told the police that he had left town as far as she knew, but there was nothing else she could tell them. Emily was frightened that the police knew something about his death, but they never came back to talk to her again.

As I heard the doctor raising his voice to tell Emily to push, I thought back to our wedding. Emily had looked absolutely stunning in her mother's dress and she carried a bouquet of blue orchids. When she arrived at the end of the aisle, a single blue butterfly landed on her veil. I should have known her mother wouldn't miss her wedding. After Emily and I had sealed our vows with a kiss, we watched the butterfly fly over our heads and out the doors of the church.

Suddenly, the doctor popped his head out of the bedroom. "Victor, you can come see the baby now," he whispered.

Slowly, I walked inside the room. I worried, _What if the baby looks like Lord Barkis?,_ I wondered. _What if I don't feel the connection a father is supposed to feel for his daughter?_ Emily was lying on the bed with a bundle curled into her arms. She smiled as she saw me approach, and moved the blanket to show me that the child had her snappy brown eyes and a fuzzy head. "It's a girl." she said.

All it took was one look at my newborn daughter to know that I did, and always would, love her.


End file.
